Flower basket bracket for hearses



Nv. 29, 1938. E. 1 scHoFlELD t 2,138,647

FLOWER BASKET BRACKET FOR HEARSES Filed OCtv 23, 1956 Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNlTE STATES PATENT OFFICE Earl L. Schofield, Freeport, Ill., assignor to Henney Motor Company, Freeport, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application October 23, 1936, Serial No. 107,261

6 Claims.

This invention relates to detachable brackets generally, but is principally concerned with a detachable flower basket bracket for hearses, such brackets being required in hearses when it is desired to use a hearse as an ambulance or service car, when the flower baskets and brackets would be in the way.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an anchor plate, and a bracket quickly Y detachable therefrom but arranged nevertheless to be fastened thereon quickly and securely and without danger of play developing between the parts and causing rattling, any tendency for rattling being considered particularly objectionable in a hearse, since everything else in a hearse construction is designed to operate silently.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind in which a single thumb-screw suices to fasten the bracket securely to the anchor plate.

Still another object consists in providing a device of this kind in which the anchor plate is so small and of such ornate design that its presence in the vehicle is not at all objectionable when the hearse is used for another purpose.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a phantom View of a hearse, showing the flower basket in transverse section and one of the improved brackets therefor in side elevation;

Fig. 2. is a view of the lower part of the device of Fig. 1, on a larger scale, showing the bracket proper in side elevation and the anchor plate in longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a side View of the anchor plate and butt portion of the bracket in disassembled relation, indicating the manner of assembly and disassembly;

Fig. 4 is a front View of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail on the line 5,-5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional detail on the line 6-5 of Fig. 4.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring first to Fig. l, 'I indicates the body of a hearse in which a casket table 3 is provided as a movable support for the casket S. In the case of a side delivery hearse, this table is movable forwardly and to either side for convenient loading and unloading of the casket, and is also usually movable rearwardly from the hearse for rear loading and unloading. However, the present invention is not limitedto use Ain ,this or any otherspeciiictype othearse; it,v

is designed primarily to facilitate converting a hearse for use as an ambulanceY or for other service purposes, it being particularly common in small communities for an undertaker to use a hearse in that way. Ill indicates a flower basket supported at a certain elevation above the casket so that its contents will be visible through the side window I I. There is, of course, one basket on each side of the hearse. The bracket device indicated generally by the numeral I2, made in accordance with my invention, consistsof a bracket I3 detachable from an anchor plate i4, and ordinarily two of these bracket devices will be employed for the support of each basket, in longitudinally spaced relation relative to the basket. The bracket I3 is quickly .detachable from the anchor plate I4, thus making it possible to remove the flower baskets when the hearse is to be used for another purpose where the newer baskets would be in the way. It is obvious from an inspection oi Fig. l that when the-brackets I3 along with the basket l@ carried thereon are removed, leaving only the anchor plates I4, considerable space is cleared inside the body l, and the plates I4 being so small and unobtrusive are not at all objectionable. In fact, each of these small anchor plates Ill, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, appears as more or less of an ornament on the side wall of the vehicle when the brackets I3 are removed therefrom.

The anchor plate I4 is of segmental form, as appears in Figs. 2 and 3, arcuate and Widest on the top Iii and tapering toward'V the bottom I6. The plate I is slightly thicker in cross-section than the bracket i3, as appears in Fig. 4, and the upper approximately half is slotted lengthwise, as indicated at Il, to receive therein the attaching portion I8 of reduced thickness on the anged butt I9 of the bracket i3. Now, in the slot I'I are two wedge-shaped cross-portions 20 and 2i. The former is a supporting portion andprovides a downwardly and inwardly inclined cam surface 22 on which the correspondingly inclined surface 23 of a lug 24 formed on the attaching portion I8 of the butt I9 is arranged-to have sliding wedging engagement to cause the longitudinal flanges 25 on the butt I9 to come into tight engagement with the front fac-e 26 of the anchor plate i6. The other cross-portion 2| is an abutment'J for the lug 2l on the lower endof the attaching portion I8 of the buttv I9 which has an inclined topsurface 28farranged/tohave sliding wedging engagement with a downwardly inclinedbottom surface'291on .the cross-portion'Z'I, Wherelui f by to force the bracket I3 downwardly relative to the anchor plate I6 when the thumb-screw 30 threading in the hole 3I in the cross-portion 2I is tightened. In so doing, the bracket I 3 is forced inwardly into tight engagement with the anchor plate at 25-26 by reason of the wedging engagement of the lug 24 on the upper crossportion 20 at 23-22. The thumb-screw 30 passes freely through a hole 32 providedtherefor in the lower end of the butt portion I8 of the bracket I3, the hole 32 being large enough to allow the oamming of the bracket I3 into tight `engagement with the anchor plate in the manner just described. Y

It is evident from the foregoing description that when the thumb-screw 39 has been tightened, the bracket I3 is so tightly engaged with the anchor plate I6 that there is absolutely no danger of any play developing between the parts and causing rattling. It is also evident that since a single screw suffices to fasten each bracket, it takes very little time to remove and replace the flower-baskets.

In conclusion, attention is called to the location of the screw holes 33 in the back wall 3L?. of the anchor plate I6. This makes the screws which are entered through these holes for fastening the anchor plate to the wall fairly well concealed, even when the brackets I3 are removed from the anchor plates, the screw heads being spaced so far from the front of the anchor plate in the slot H. Obviously these screw heads are entirely concealed when the brackets are mounted on the anchor plates. n

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modications and adaptations.

I claim:

l. A detachable bracket structure comprising an anchor plate, a bracket, a lug integral with said bracket upwardly spaced from the lower end thereof and formed to hook over the top of a supporting portion on the upper end of the anchor plate, the lug and coacting supporting portion having inclined, nearly vertical cam surfaces in slidable wedging engagement whereby to urge the bracket inwardly toward tight engagement with the anchor plate when said bracket is forced downwardly relative to said plate, and another lug integral with said bracket in downwardly spaced relation to the first lug and formed to engage beneath an abutment portion on the lower end of the anchor plate, said second lug and coacting abutment portion having 1nclined, nearly horizontal surfaces in slidable wedging engagement whereby to urge the bracket downwardly relative to the plate when the lower end of the bracket is forced inwardly toward said plate. Y

2. A detachable bracket structure comprising an anchor plate, a bracket, a lug integral with said bracket upwardly spaced from the lower endl thereof and formed to hook over the top of a supporting portion on the upper end of the anchor plate, the lug and coacting supporting portion having inclined, nearly vertical cam surfaces in slidable wedging engagement whereby to urge the bracket inwardly toward tight engagement with the anchor plate when said bracket is forced downwardly relative to said plate, another lug integral with said bracket in downwardly spaced relation to the first lug and formed to engage beneathan abutment portion on the lower end of the anchor plate, said second lug and coacting abutment portion having inclined, nearly horizontal surfaces in slidable wedging engagement whereby to urge the bracket downwardly relative to the plate when the lower end of the bracket is forced inwardly toward said plate, and a screw passing freely through said bracket and threaded in a hole provided in said plate and so disposed with respect to said second lug and coacting abutment portion whereby to cause tighter wedging engagement therebetween in the tightening of said screw.

3. A detachable bracket structure comprising an anchor plate having a vertically bifurcated outwardly projecting portion, a bracket comprising a body having an attaching portion of reduced thickness relative to the body and formed to fit removably in said bifurcated portion while the body engages the outside of said portion, cross portions in said bifurcated portion in vertically spaced relation, and vertically spaced lugs integral with said attaching portion in similarly spaced relation, the upper one formed to hook over the top of the upper cross portion and the lower one formed to engage beneath the lower cross portion, the upper lug and cross portion having downwardly and inwardly inclined coacting cam surfaces for forcing the bracket inwardly toward tight engagement of its body portion with the outwardly projecting bifurcated portion of the plate upon downward movement of the bracket relative to the plate, and the lower lug and cross portion having inclined coacting cam surfaces in transverse relation to the first described coacting cam surfaces to force the bracket downwardly relative to the plate upon inward movement of the lower portion of the bracket relative to the plate.

4. A detachable bracket structure comprising an anchor plate having a vertically bifurcated outwardly projecting portion, a bracket compris,- ing a body having an attaching portion of reduced thickness relative to the body and formed to t removably in said bifurcated portion while the body engages the outside of said portion,

cross portions in said bifurcated portion in vertically spaced relation, vertically spaced lugs integral with said attaching portion in similarly spaced relation, the upper one formed to hook over the top of the upper cross portion and the lower one formed to engage beneath the lower cross portion, the upper lug and cross portion having downwardly and inwardly inclined coacting cam surfaces for forcing the bracket inwardly toward tight engagement of its body portion with the outwardly projecting bifurcated portion of the plate upon downward movement of the bracket relative to the plate, the lower lug and cross portion having inclined coacting cam surfaces in transverse relation to the first described coacting cam surfaces whereby to force the bracket downwardly relative to the plate upon inward movement of the lower portion of the bracket relative to the plate, and a screw passing approximately horizontally through the bracket into a threaded hole provided therefor in the bracket in closely spaced relation to the cam surface on the lower cross portion to secure the bracket to the plate and also force the bracket downwardly relative to the plate to produce the tightening wedging action set forth, v

f 5. In a detachable bracket structure, the combination of an anchor plate having a substantially segmentalV shaped projection ina vertical plane for supporting a bracket, the projection being widest at the upper end and providing a top supporting surface and a front supporting surface inwardly inclined from the top tol the bottom of the projection, said projection being slotted vertically in a median plane and having two cross portions in the slot, one near the upper end of the projection and the other downwardly spaced with relation thereto, and a bracket formed to provide two surfaces, one for abutment on top of said projection and the other for abutment with the front surface of the projection, said bracket having a projection on the inner side thereof in a vertical plane adapted for entry in the slot in the anchor plate projection, the bracket projection having a downwardly directed lug integral with the upper end thereof to hook over and adapted to wedge behind the upper cross portion in said slot, and another lug integral withthe bracket projection in downwardly spaced relation to the rst lug inwardly directed with respect to the lower end of the bracket and adapted to have wedging engagement beneath the lower cross portion in said slot.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein the lower cross portion has a threaded hole provided therein, and the bracket has a hole provided therein arranged to register with the lastmentioned hole, the structure including a bolt entered through the hole in the bracket and threaded in the hole in the cross portion, whereby to force the lower end of the bracket inwardly toward the anchor plate.

EARL L. SCHOFIELD. 

